With the recent drastic changes in consumer' life style and needs, there arises a trend toward various products (cosmetics, toiletries, cataplasms, bath agents, pharmaceutical compositions, etc.) having not only the inherent functions thereof but also an additional effect of providing a refresh feeling during or after using. Accordingly, there have been widely marketed products capable of imparting an additional effect of providing a refreshing feel during or after using. Such products with a need for a refreshing feel are typified by cosmetics to be used in summer, toiletries such as shampoos, cataplasms, bath agents, insect-repellent sprays, etc.
To satisfy the requirement as described above, these products contain various cool feeling agents exemplified by l-menthol, camphor, eugenol, methyl salicylate, menthyl malonate, borneol, cineol, menthone, spearmint, peppermint, l-isopulegol, 3-(l-menthoxy) propane-1,2-diol, p-menthane-3,8-diol, l-menthyl-3-hydroxybutyrate, glycosyl-mono-menthyl-o-acetate, etc.
To satisfy the increasing demand on the market for these cool feeling agents, there has been performed research and development to provide novel cool feeling agents. Also, attempts have been made to enhance an improved cool feeling by combining two or more cool feeling agents or combining cool feeling agents with other substances and to improve the cool feeling or feel in using by examining the compatibility of cool feeling agents with various components in the products. For example, it is known to use 3-(l-menthoxy)propane-1,2-diol together with a specific glyceryl ether (JP-A-63-208505; the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application") or to use 3-(l-menthoxy)propane-1,2-diol together with a hydrophilic polyether-denatured silicone (JP-A-63-264522). However, none of the known cool feeling agents as described above can achieve a satisfactorily strong and long-lasting cool feeling.
As a method for improving the cool feeling strength and persistence, JP-A-6-107527 proposes a hair wash composition with the combined use of a specific cool feeling agent and a specific warm feeling agent. Although this composition shows a somewhat elevated cool feeling effect, the thus obtained effect is still unsatisfactory. It is therefore required to develop a cool feeling agent capable of showing further improved cool feeling strength and cool feeling persistence.